Our easy Goulash recipe is one of those yummy, budget-friendly dinners that saves the day on busy weeknights (time and time again).
It is packed with seasoned ground beef, macaroni, and a rich tomato sauce that tastes like it simmered all day, even though it comes together fast. Although the recipe originated in Hungary, we’ve added our American twist, and have been making this since we were kids.
What we love most about this soup or stew recipe is how simple it is while still being totally comforting. Everything cooks in one skillet, the flavors are kid-friendly, and it makes a big batch that is perfect for leftovers.
Serve this American goulash recipe with some Garlic Bread or Garlic Knots and some Roasted Vegetables for a great Sunday dinner idea.
Why we think you’ll love it:
- A simple dinner. This one pot meal is very easy and is one of our go-to beef dinner ideas. One pot makes for easy clean up!
- Easy to change up. Add the cheese, leave out the cheese, add extra veggies, or even change the noodles. This recipe is very versatile.
- Can be made in the slow cooker too! Just follow the directions below to make it in the crockpot.
Goulash Ingredients
- Ground beef (2 pounds, 80/20): Provides rich, hearty flavor. Use lean ground beef or one with higher fat content. Drain any excess grease that is produced. Replace half the ground beef with 1 pound of Italian sausage or completely substitute the beef for ground turkey or chicken.
- Minced garlic (3 teaspoons): Adds savory depth. See How to Mince Garlic.
- Water or beef broth (3 cups): Creates the cooking liquid and sauce base. Beef broth can be used instead of water for extra flavor. Increase the amount of broth to make this dish more “soupy” like the Hungarian goulash.
- Tomato sauce (2 cans, 15 ounce): Forms the rich tomato base.
- Diced tomatoes (2 cans, 14.5 ounce): Adds texture and extra tomato flavor.
- Soy sauce (3 tablespoons): Boosts savory depth and umami.
- Italian seasoning (2 tablespoons): Adds herb flavor.
- Seasoned salt (1 teaspoon): Enhances and balances the flavors. Add red pepper flakes for spice.
- Bay leaves (3): Adds subtle aromatic flavor while simmering.
- Elbow macaroni or other pasta (2 cups): Cooks directly in the sauce and makes the dish hearty. Macaroni noodles are a classic, but any similarly sized pasta will work such as shell pasta, penne, ditalini, or fusilli.
- Shredded cheddar cheese (1 cup, optional): Adds creamy, melty goodness on top. Or shredded mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, or omit.
- Optional veggies: Peas, red bell peppers, spinach, onion, green beans, or carrots (add more tender vegetables toward the end)
How to Make Goulash
MEAT. Brown ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat until cooked, then drain. Add garlic and cook for about 5 minutes.
SAUCE. Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, bay leaves, soy sauce, and seasoned salt.
Stir this well; cover and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
PASTA. Add uncooked elbow macaroni to the skillet, stir well, then replace the lid and simmer for about 15-20 minutes.
CHEESE. Once the 15-20 minutes are up and the noodles are all cooked, turn off the heat and remove the bay leaves. Add 1 cup of cheddar cheese right before serving, making this easy goulash recipe even more irresistible.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Drain excess grease to avoid a heavy, greasy sauce.
- Stir occasionally while simmering so the pasta does not stick or burn.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Add a splash of broth if the pasta absorbs too much liquid.
- When serving, we love to top our individual bowls with a little extra cheddar cheese (each to our liking), for a little extra cheesy goodness.
- Crock pot directions: Sauté the ground beef in a skillet until cooked. Drain excess fat and add garlic. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Put the sautéed meat in the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients. Save noodles to add during the last 1 hour of cooking. Cook on HIGH heat for 3-4 hours or on LOW heat for 7-8 hours.
Best Goulash Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground beef, 80 percent lean/20 percent fat
- 3 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3 cups water, or beef broth
- 2 (15-ounce) cans tomato sauce
- 2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon seasoned salt
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 cups elbow macaroni, or penne or shell pasta
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, optional topping
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, sauté ground beef until cooked, 8-10 minutes, then drain off excess fat.
- Add garlic and sauté for about 2-3 minutes. Add water, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, soy sauce, Italian seasoning, seasoned salt and bay leaves. Stir, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes.
- Add macaroni to the skillet, stir well and cover. SImmer for about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the bay leaves, and cheese right before serving.
Notes
- Drain excess grease to avoid a heavy, greasy sauce.
- Stir occasionally while simmering so the pasta does not stick or burn.
- Remove the bay leaves before serving.
- Add a splash of broth if the pasta absorbs too much liquid.
- When serving, we love to top our individual bowls with a little extra cheddar cheese (each to our liking), for a little extra cheesy goodness.
- Crock pot directions: Sauté the ground beef in a skillet until cooked. Drain excess fat and add garlic. Sauté for another 5 minutes. Put the sautéed meat in the crock pot along with the remaining ingredients. Save noodles to add during the last 1 hour of cooking. Cook on HIGH heat for 3-4 hours or on LOW heat for 7-8 hours.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
Brown the ground beef, drain, and cool. Add the ground beef and other ingredients to a freezer Ziploc and freeze for 3-4 months. (Save the noodles and cheese to add later). Thaw and heat on the stove adding the noodles during the last 30 minutes. Top with cheese.
Place leftovers in an airtight container(s) in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop or microwave.
More Like This
Sides
More Easy Pasta Dinners
Collections
This recipe was first shared April, 2017.
Can you use chicken with this recipe as well?
I haven’t tried, but I’m sure it would be great!
Awesome recipe! My 15 year old daughter made it. She added a diced yellow onion. She was so proud of herself for making such a great dinner for the family!
That’s awesome!! Tell her, way to go! I’m glad you all liked it! Thank you 🙂
I have made a basic Goulash for years, nothing special…..Made this, and it is really really good, made some minor adjustments the second time I made it….just softened some bell pepper, onion, and pickled jalapeno, along with 1 can of rotel, and only put in 1 bay leaf…..these are just to my taste, the basic recipe is great….Thank you for it!!
Thanks for sharing..sounds good! I’m glad you liked it!!
Made this last night for my family of 5. Everyone LOVED it. Made plenty for 2 dinners and them some. Easy and delicious! Thanks! Printed recipe and put in my recipe box.
I am so glad they all loved it!! I love hearing that! Thank you!
Cooked this for my granddaughters last night. They loved it.
Yay!! I’m glad they did! Thank you for sharing!
This was delicious.
Glad you liked it! Thank you for trying it 🙂
Making this right now, smells good. Had this as a kid. Can’t wait to try it.
Hope you liked it!!
I’m excited to make this recipe. However, my children do not like chunks of tomato. What could I substitute in its place? Thank you in advance.
You could just leave it out or add whatever veggie they like. You could also crush/chop them smaller?
I just used another can of tomato sauce. Thank you! It was very good.
Thanks for the recipe!
You are so welcome!!
I grew up eating variations of this ghoulash but as an adult I started using my left over Mac and Cheese as I always make too much for one meal. I always cook diced onion with the ground beef (one pound is plenty) and I also add a can of kidney beans.
Yes, there are lots of variations! Thanks for sharing what you do!
My family loved this meal! They wanted to make certain that we’ll have this again.
Yay! So glad your family liked it! Thank you for letting me know!